Exposing Islam

The Qur’an’s Use of Apocryphal Sources: Plagiarism or Revelation?

Behind the Veil: Tracing the Qur’an’s Literary Borrowings

The Qur’an claims to be the literal word of God, revealed in perfect Arabic, unmatched in style or substance, and entirely original (Qur’an 2:23). Yet, upon forensic literary inspection, this claim collapses.

Numerous Qur’anic stories—especially those concerning biblical figures like Mary, Jesus, and Abraham—are not only absent from canonical scriptures, but instead show strong dependence on non-canonical, apocryphal Jewish and Christian literature circulating in the Near East.

This raises a simple question:

❓ If these stories originated with God, why do they trace back to human-written, post-biblical legends that predate Muhammad?

The only two logical options are:

Plagiarism from apocryphal traditions, orally or textually.
God re-revealed distorted folklore instead of the original revelation, which is theologically absurd.

Let’s examine the data.

1️⃣ Mary’s Childhood and the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew

The Qur’an’s account of Mary (Maryam) in Surah 3 and 19 contains striking details absent from the canonical Bible—but found in the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, a 7th-century Latin apocryphal text derived from earlier Eastern Christian traditions.

Compare:

Qur’anic Account	Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
Mary is dedicated to the Temple by her mother (3:35–37)	Mary is dedicated to the Temple by her parents (ch. 4)
She is fed by angels (3:37)	Angels bring her food in the Temple (ch. 6)
Zachariah is her guardian (3:37)	Zachariah takes charge of her in the Temple (ch. 8)

These are not found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John—only in the apocrypha, and they precede the Qur’an.

This isn’t divine revelation. It’s literary recycling.

2️⃣ Jesus Speaks from the Cradle – Infancy Gospel of Thomas

Surah 19:29–30 claims that baby Jesus spoke from the cradle, defending his mother’s chastity and proclaiming himself a prophet.

This motif is found nowhere in the canonical Gospels—but it is a central episode in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a 2nd-century apocryphal Christian text.

“The child Jesus, speaking while lying in his cradle, said to Mary…” – Infancy Gospel of Thomas (Syriac fragments)

This verbatim scenario mirrors the Qur’anic version, raising the inevitable charge of derivation, not revelation.

Islamic apologists claim this proves those Gospels were originally true. But logically, why would God confirm texts labeled as heretical by early Christians, yet ignore the canonical Gospels?

3️⃣ Jesus Forms Clay Birds – Gospel of Thomas

Surah 5:110 and 3:49 recount Jesus creating birds from clay, breathing into them, and bringing them to life.

This again mirrors the Infancy Gospel of Thomas:

“[Jesus] took clay and molded it into twelve sparrows... he clapped his hands, and they flew away chirping.” – Infancy Gospel of Thomas, ch. 2

The Qur’an elevates this to a miracle “by Allah’s permission,” but the source is unmistakable—and it is not divine.

The canonical Gospels never record such a miracle. This specific tale reflects folklore, not fact, borrowed from an apocryphal legend that predated the Qur’an by centuries.

4️⃣ Abraham and the Fire – Midrash Rabbah

In Surah 21:68–69, Abraham is thrown into a fire by his people, but God tells the fire, “Be cool, and safe for Abraham.”

Again, this isn’t in Genesis. But it is in Jewish Midrash:

In Midrash Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 38:13), Nimrod throws Abraham into a fiery furnace, but God miraculously saves him.

This was an oral rabbinic legend, never part of the Tanakh or Torah. Yet the Qur’an presents it as historical revelation.

Why? Because Muhammad (or his informants) likely heard it through trade routes or Christian-Jewish converts in Arabia, mistaking folklore for scripture.

5️⃣ Alexander the Great (Dhul-Qarnayn) – Syriac Legend of Alexander

Surah 18:83–101 introduces Dhul-Qarnayn, a “two-horned” conqueror who travels to the ends of the Earth and builds a barrier to contain Gog and Magog.

Despite Muslim attempts to reframe him as Cyrus, all narrative details align with Alexander the Great as portrayed in the Syriac Legend of Alexander, composed in the 6th century.

Travels to the West and East ✔️
Builds an iron wall ✔️
Fights Gog and Magog ✔️
Depicted with horns on coins ✔️

This tale was popular in Christian Eastern circles and was passed orally. The Qur’an’s rendition is a retelling with Islamic framing.

6️⃣ The Cave Sleepers – Christian “Seven Sleepers” Legend

Surah 18:9–26 recounts the “People of the Cave,” a group of youths who flee persecution, sleep for centuries, and awaken miraculously.

This is a direct adaptation of the legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, popularized in Eastern Christendom from the 5th century onward.

“The seven youths fled Decius’ persecution and slept in a cave for over 300 years, waking in a new Christian world.” – Jacob of Serugh, 5th-century Syriac bishop

The Qur’an even echoes the uncertainty over how many there were—odd for a divine revelation, but typical for an oral folktale transmission.

Logical Conclusion: This Is Not Revelation

If the Qur’an were a truly divine book, it would not:

Use apocryphal sources discredited by early Christian authorities
Present post-biblical folklore as ancient prophetic history
Rely on late, extra-biblical Jewish tales for key theological content

There is a clear historical path: oral legends → local transmission → Qur’anic adaptation.

This is not revelation from the preserved tablet (Qur’an 85:22). It is second-hand storytelling, rebranded as divine speech.

🧩 Final Verdict: The Qur’an Is a Patchwork of Folklore

The Qur’an’s dependence on non-canonical, folkloric sources demolishes the claim that it is a standalone, unmatched miracle. Instead, it reveals:

A literary dependence on previously existing human traditions
A theology shaped by oral borrowing, not divine dictation
A book compiled, not revealed—edited, not authored by God

“When you strip the Qur’an of its borrowed tales, what remains is a scaffold of theology—empty of originality, and full of secondhand myths.”